In line with its aim of introducing the concept of umami to as many people around the world as possible, the Umami Information Center is proud to present several new editions of Umami: The World.

Since it was first published in 2004, the English edition of Umami: The World has become recognized as a compact but comprehensive authority on the fifth taste, for example being cited as a reference by Heston Blumenthal for his most recent book, ‘In Search of Perfection.’

Now, in anticipation of next year’s centenary of the discovery of umami by Kikunae Ikeda in 2008, a revised and updated edition has been published featuring additional material such as a feature on Japanese konbu kelp sea vegetable and an illustrated umami world map.

At the same time, Japanese and Portuguese editions have just been published, and a Spanish version is coming very soon. These new titles compliment the French edition that came out in 2006, giving millions more people around the world the chance to discover more about umami in their native tongue.

Details of all umami publications, including our World Recipe series, can be found on our books page. In addition, if you have any queries about any of our titles, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .